A β Cephei pulsator and a changing orbital inclination in the high-mass eclipsing binary system VV Orionis

We present an analysis of the high-mass eclipsing binary system VV Ori based on photometry from the TESS satellite. The primary star (B1 V, 9.5 M-circle dot) shows beta Cephei pulsations and the secondary (B7 V, 3.8 M-circle dot) is possibly a slowly pulsating B star. We detect 51 significant oscillation frequencies, including two multiplets with separations equal to the orbital frequency, indicating that the pulsations are tidally perturbed. We analyse the TESS light curve and published radial velocities to determine the physical properties of the system. Both stars are only the second of their pulsation type with a precisely measured mass. The orbital inclination is also currently decreasing, likely due to gravitational interactions with a third body.

Automated summary

This study analyzes the high-mass eclipsing binary system VV Ori using photometry data from the TESS satellite. The primary star shows beta Cephei pulsations while the secondary star is possibly a slowly pulsating B star. The analysis detects 51 significant oscillation frequencies, indicating tidal perturbations, and reveals that the orbital inclination is decreasing, possibly due to gravitational interactions with a third body.